Character Formation: Taking Shape Through Sanctification and the Means of Grace

“Genuine transformation of the whole person into the goodness and power seen in Jesus and His ‘Abba’ Father—the only transformation adequate to the human self—remains the necessary goal of human life” (Willard, 2002, p. 20). Ever since the beginning of time, God has commanded believers to be Holy because He is Holy (1 Peter 1:16; Chapell, 2001; Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:26). This command from God is a high standard but is God serious about this command? Is holiness even obtainable here on Earth? These are questions that theologians have wrestled with for centuries, and some have formulated specific doctrines due to this command by God (Bird, 2013). One of these terms is called spiritual formation, or another term perhaps more people are familiar with is sanctification (“Grand Canyon University,” 2015). A basic definition of sanctification means to be set apart to holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit (Aaron, 2012; Barry et al., 2016). Christians who are Spirit-driven, are being more conformed to the image of Christ day by day. It is because of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit that one can even have a story of sanctification which will lead one down the road to character formation. 

Character formation can be defined by saying through God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, a person during their walk of sanctification will develop godly, righteous, and holy character traits (Waddell, 2014). Character formation and sanctification go hand in hand where God gives us different means of graces, i.e., spiritual disciplines, as gifts during our spiritual walk with Him to become more like Jesus. Moving forward, one will discover how the core of the gospel message is essential to character formation and how the same gospel motivates Christians to participate in discipleship and spiritual disciplines. Additionally, a self-examination will be given of my own life regarding which spiritual disciplines I participate in and how one should practice such disciplines for their Christian character.

The Gospel: A Foundation to Character Formation

The gospel message is foundational to understand before one goes down the road of spiritual and character formation. The Gospel begins with the Trinity in eternity past formulating a redemptive covenant of love. Love can be the single word that is used to summarize the purpose of the gospel. The gospel of Christ is so vital to one’s spiritual formation that it needs to be preached daily to oneself. The New Testament drives this point home in so many different ways. (1) Many of Paul’s letters to the Churches reflect this importance: “Ephesians 1-3 is all gospel, Colossians 1-2 is all gospel, and Romans 1-11 is gospel” (Vincent, 2008, p. 13). Even when Paul lists out how to protect believers from the spiritual battles the enemy brings, Paul reminds us to put on the full armor of God which is a reflection of the gospel with every piece of armor (Vincent, 2008). (2) The gospel is also the power of God. The only other thing described in this way in all of Scripture is the person of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:18, 24; Rom. 1:16; Vincent, 2008). This is why believers need to preach the gospel to themselves daily because it literally has the power of God in it to transform a person’s life and character. Vincent (2008) says it best, “preaching the gospel to myself every day has made more of a difference in my life than any other discipline I have ever practiced” (Vincent, 2008, p. 6). The power to be transformed, renewed, and conformed more to the image of Christ is only found in the gospel.

The Gospel Definition

What is the gospel? The gospel message begins with a predetermined redemptive plan before eternity past in which God would create a world and people who would reflect His image; but also partner with, have a relationship with, and share in His beauty (Arnold & Beyer, 2015; Gen. 1). Sadly, humankind rebelled against God and suffered greatly in the fall which led God to His ordained plan of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Jesus then paved the way for our redemption on the cross of Calvary and initiated the perfect plan of restoration. It was due to the fall that humankind lost its relationship and partnership with God and therefore became separated from the true beauty and majesty of God. The gospel message restores this relationship and reestablishes the beauty that humankind once had before the fall. Jonathan Edwards once said, “Christ thus redeemed the elect and purchased grace for them to that end, that they might walk in holy practice” (Edwards, 1969, p. 112). To walk with God, to have sin eradicated, and to see God again face to face is the ultimate purpose of the gospel. Believers will one day see God for who He is and be forever rejoined with Him to behold His beauty. This great event is known as the beatific vision (Strobel, 2013). It is the event in which believers are radically made aware of the “complete knowledge of God and His glory” (Strobel, 2013, p. 38). The Apostle Paul describes this event this way, “for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12). Paul goes on to say that the real beauty of seeing God will be through the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:6). Jesus’s birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension became the good news or gospel that would save humankind from their depravity and ultimate death. The gospel is truly good news.

Sanctification

The ultimate goal of the beatific vision becomes a believer’s motivation that leads them to sanctification and character formation, which are all channeled through the means of grace God gives to His people. Just as salvation is given to Christians by grace through faith, sanctification is given to believers by grace through faith from the power of the Holy Spirit (Pettit, 2008). God’s ultimate goal is not just to save and forgive His chosen elect, but God indeed wants to share life with them, He also wants to bring them into His family (Strobel, 2013). Johnathan Edwards (1968) once said:

This was the design of Christ, to bring it to pass, that he, and his Father, and his people, might all be united in one . . . that those that the Father has given him, should be brought into the household of God; that he, and his Father, and his people, should be as it were one society, one family; that the church should be as it were admitted into the society of the blessed Trinity. (p. 201)

God wants nothing more than for us to be rejoined with Him and to share in His beauty once again. However, in order to become beautiful, one must walk with the beautiful One (Strobel, 2013).

Once God summons a person and regenerates them, the life long process of sanctification begins. It is during this road of sanctification that the Holy Spirit begins to form a believer to make them more beautiful. Only when one understands sanctification, then can the same person begin their character formation. The term sanctification and spiritual formation are both parallel terms. Sanctification is accomplished by the Holy Spirit and is an ongoing event which through the Spirit forms people more into the image of Christ day by day (“Grand Canyon University,” 2015). Sanctification has three tenses described by theologians: past-tense, future-tense, and present-tense sanctification (Aaron, 2012; Elwell & Beitzel, 1988). In past-tense sanctification, Christians are declared holy positionally by virtue of being in Christ and are free from the penalty of sin (1 Cor. 1:2; 6:11; Heb. 10:10; Pettit, 2008). Future-tense sanctification will come to its final fruition during glorification where Christians will be completely free from the presence of sin, and God who started a good work in a believer will finally complete it, and they will be like Him (1 John 3:2; Phil. 1:6; Rom. 8:29-30). It is the present-tense sanctification that is known as progressive sanctification or spiritual formation, that the Holy Spirit continues to participate in making believers holy, and helps one remain free from the power of sin (Pettit, 2008). Sanctification is accomplished through the means of grace.

The Means of Grace

God by His grace gives believers different means of grace to shape and transform them into the image of Christ which then builds one’s character. God channels His grace onto us through these means which are also known as spiritual disciplines. When speaking about spiritual disciplines, several theologians communicate different types of disciplines in which a Christian can participate in which leads the believer down the road of sanctification and character formation. Teaching, reading or proclaiming God’s Word, baptism, communion, prayer, worship, Church discipline, giving, exercising one’s spiritual gifts, fellowship, sabbath, conferencing, soliloquy, and evangelism are just some spiritual disciplines’ theologians have expounded on (Berkhof, 1938; Easton, 1893; Grudem, 2004; Hodge, 1997; Strobel, 2013). In addition, self-examination, solitude, silence, Scripture memorization, fasting, meditation, contemplation, and confession/repentance have all been recognized as spiritual disciplines as well (Chapell, 2001; Vos, 2012; Willard, 1998). Even though this list is quite lengthy, one can look over this list and find themselves excited, anxious, or even terrified over any single spiritual discipline. Sometimes a list such as those described above can compel someone to think if they can accomplish each one of these spiritual disciplines; it may obtain good favor, or it will keep the love of God upon them (Chapell, 2001).

This type of thinking can get a believer in trouble. The word posture becomes essential when thinking about the means of grace. God is willing and waiting to overflow our lives with grace as long as we have a proper posture to receive them. Strobel (2013) says, “means of grace are spiritual postures to receive God’s grace. To use biblical imagery, our call is not to bear fruit, but to abide in the vine” (p. 84). If we are abiding in the vine, our natural response as a Christian will be to bear fruit. Strobel (2013) goes on to say,

Practicing means of grace does not create grace or holiness in the life of the believer. At best, the means of grace are irrigation channels for the real water of life. Unlike spiritual disciplines, therefore, which often become attempts to make ourselves holy, means of grace demand a posture of receiving. Rather than being in control of our spiritual lives, we come as the needy, thirsty and desperate. Our goal is always God in Christ by his Spirit and should never be a better life (because he is the source of the abundant life). (p. 89)

Another profound author says, “grace becomes not only the means by which God once justified us, it is also the means by which we are continually encouraged and enabled to serve him with undiminished delight” (Chapell, 2001, p. 10). A very wise and humble man once told me “God’s grace is always experienced in the lowest parts of our lives” (M. Vincent, personal interview, December 11, 2018). If a person does not come with a posture of humility to God as we partake in the means of grace, Christians can fall into the trap of thinking their work is transforming their lives instead of the Holy Spirit (Pettit, 2008). The idea of balancing transformation with the Holy Spirit and a believer can be found in a simple analogy. 

If one looks to how a sailboat is moved in the ocean, there are a couple of things to take into consideration. An external force outside of oneself is required for the sailboat to move, that is the wind. It is important to remember that human beings do not provide the wind, they do not create the wind, nor are they are even capable of creating wind at the magnitude that is needed to move the sailboat. This wind has to be provided by God. Unless there is wind in the air, it does not matter if a person puts their sails up; the boat will not move (Pettit, 2008). Without the Holy Spirit, believers would be hopeless to transform their own lives even while participating in the means of grace perfectly. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can give believers a new heart and mind and begin to transform them from the inside out (John 3:3-8).

Community and Discipleship

Two critical elements that are missing from the long list of spiritual disciplines are community and discipleship. Most of the channels that God is waiting to transform us through are unable to be accomplished in complete isolation. God wants us to experience connectedness, transformation, and community. The author of Hebrews says, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb. 10:24-25). The failure of oneself, brokenness, death, tragedy, sorrow, depression, and sin can only be defeated and nurtured inside the community of God (“Grand Canyon University,” 2015). Throughout the entire salvation plan of God, one can say that from Genesis through Revelation, God is unfolding the way of restoration of “community between God and man” through our Lord, Jesus Christ (Pettit, 2008, p. 75). It is through God’s Word and a community of believers that one can be cultivated with the ethical morality of an individual and experience the ultimate sense of oneness within the Eucharist (1 Cor. 10:16; Lev. 19:2). It is the community that unites believers in so many ways due to the commonality they all hold: faith (Titus 1:4; Philem. 6), salvation (Jude 3), the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13), suffering/persecution (1 Peter 4:13; 2 Cor. 1:7; Heb. 10:33), glory (1 Peter 5:1); and the ability to transcend worldly distinction such as race, class, culture, and gender (Eph. 2:11-22; Gal. 3:27-29; Pettit, 2008). In order to build such a community though, God has given believers the command to make disciples.

Discipleship and Character Formation

Not only is the gospel foundational in one’s sanctification and character formation, it is also essential in one’s motivation into discipleship. Discipleship is all about following Jesus and encouraging others to do the same (Pettit, 2008). One of the most important things Jesus told the disciples to do after preaching the Gospel is to make disciples (Matt. 28:19). Discipleship is often a lost art that many evangelical preachers forget about. Once a person is born again, this is just the beginning. Transformation does not stop after regeneration; it is a lifelong process. There are so many unanswered questions, doubts, fears, and instruction that a new believer needs to be walked through and this is where discipleship comes into play. The first spiritual discipline a new believer needs to walk the road of sanctification is the first means of grace that God bestows on humankind, which is the Word of God (Berkhof, 1938; Strobel, 2013). The Word of God is a gift from God that is neglected by so many believers today. It has been said of some people there is enough dust on their Bibles that one could write damnation with their fingers (Spurgeon, n.d.). Dwight L. Moody (n.d.) once said, the Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation. Moody (n.d.) also said that out of 100 men, one would read the Bible, the other 99 will read the Christian. This is why this first spiritual discipline is necessary because it is the fountain of all the other spiritual disciplines or means of grace that God is just waiting to overflow in our lives. It is through the Word where God teaches us how to pray, how to worship, how to use our spiritual gifts, and how to participate in the sacraments. These are all different means of grace that need to be lived out side-by-side during discipleship and community. 

Transformation by Community and Discipleship

Discipleship becomes an act that is compelled out of love rather than obligation. Christians want to disciple others and participate in a community of like-minded believers since this is who God is, a triune community of persons (Bloomquist, 2014; Pettit, 2008). M. Vincent (personal interview, December 11, 2018) boldly said, “as a way of analogy, if believers want to inject steroids in themselves and others; it involves, time, relationship, and discipleship.” Discipleship is perhaps one avenue through which Christians grow the most and perhaps are transformed in rapid fashion since God specifically chose to give believers a measure of grace so that people would only experience these other deposits of grace in a community and more specifically in the realm of discipleship. One only needs to look at Romans 12 to discover the importance of community and discipleship. After Paul speaks on 11 chapters of gospel theology, he now shifts to the application of all of that gospel and how it is experienced inside a community of believers. Romans 12:3 says, “for by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned [italics added].” God has given each person their own measure of faith or His deposits of little grace, and He has intentionally withdrawn or left others with deficits. God then places these deposits of grace or measures of faith in other people so that now believers will have fellowship with other people and experience these other deposits of grace that would not be experienced on their own. This is perhaps the most crucial point of understanding community and discipleship since Paul spends the rest of Romans explaining this point. It is within the community that believers will be able to exercise their spiritual gifts, live out the commandments of God, and show the love that Christ gave as an example for us to follow. It is within the community and discipleship that one experiences true transformation and develops godly characteristics.

The Fruit of the Spirit

The character that finally is developed in a person can be found in the fruit of the spirit. The fruit of the spirit at its core is to have the chief godly characteristics such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). True character is what a man is in the dark. When a person has been regenerated, filled with the Holy Spirit, and is actively partaking in the means of grace that God pours out on His people, this person is transformed, is being sanctified, and is developing a character like Jesus Christ. Reflecting God’s character of love is how one is obeying the command to be holy as God is holy.

Character Formation and Daily Life

During the examination of character formation, the identity of the source of the success of it has been labeled through the Gospel, the Holy Spirit, and discipleship. At the simplest level God sends Christians three primary sources of means of grace into their lives which include the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and His people (Pettit, 2007). It is by these three primary spiritual disciplines one can expect to be transformed in their spiritual walk and character and be on the road of sanctification of becoming Holy as the Lord has commanded. A. Davis (personal interview, December 27, 2018) put it this way, “spiritual formation is inward and ripples outward like a rock when it is dropped in a lake. This simple analogy portrays how the Holy Spirit changes you from the inside first, and then God by His grace creates ripple effects in our lives that impact, transform, and build character in us and others.” When I look at my own life, reading the Word, participating in the Eucharist, and meditating on the beauty of God has been the primary channels that I experience God’s grace and see these ripple effects through.

The Word of God

As one reads the Word of God, one can quickly discover the importance that God’s Word brings into a believer’s life. Just by meditating and applying the Word of God, it will make one prosperous and have great success (Jos. 1:8). Paul says all Scripture is breathed out by God and is sufficient for one’s every need (2 Tim. 3:16). The author of Hebrews informs one that the Word of God is alive, active, and is convicting the hearts of men (Heb. 4:12). God’s Word is infallible (Prov. 30:5-6), complete (Rev. 22:18-19), and the only authority that should reign a believer’s life (Ps. 119:89). It is by God’s Word that people hear the good news that leads to salvation (John 3:16; Rom. 10:9); the Word is what guides Christian’s steps, gives them wisdom, lifts their burdens, brings them joy, and gives people peace (Ps. 119:28, 105, 111, 130). Furthermore, God’s Word provides stability, guidance, and spiritual maturity (Eph. 4:12-15; Pettit, 2008; Prov. 3:5-6; Ps. 119:9). Clark (2010) rightly says, “Those who refuse to acknowledge the Bible’s authority will not experience spiritual transformation by the Spirit and through the Word” (p. 65). The Bible is the door that believers must walk through and devote themselves to on a daily basis in order for spiritual formation to begin, but they are unable to do this without the leading and power of the Holy Spirit.

When reading God’s word, I also try to read it in a formational approach as well as applying proper hermeneutics using the informational approach. The formational approach approaches Scripture in a manner known as the Lectio Divina which composes of four steps: reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation (“Grand Canyon University,” 2015). The formational approach helps me shift my mind from the information of God to realizing the majesty of God. It makes me aware of my own sinfulness and His holiness (Issler, 2012). It helps me to patiently wait and listen and helps form my relationship with the Lord. The very depths of emotions arise during this approach and are laid out at the feet of Jesus. This approach allows God to penetrate my heart and not just my mind (Muto, 2012). When I think about moving forward in my relationship with the Lord, I now see the importance of implementing both approaches when reading God’s Word. The informational and formational approaches have so many benefits to knowing God and also drive one into having a deep personal relationship with Him.

The Eucharist

Another spiritual discipline that I truly believe that God bestows grace in my life through is partaking of the Eucharist. Bird (2013) defines the Eucharist this way: 

The Eucharist is the gospel meal for the gospelizing community. It is the celebration of the new covenant, the new exodus, and our new hope in the Lord Jesus. The Eucharist is essentially remembering Jesus’ death, reinscribing the story of Jesus’ passion with paschal imagery, restating the promises of the new covenant, rehearsing the victory of Jesus over sin and death, and refocusing our attention towards the parousia of the Lord Jesus. (p. 778)

Miraculously, partaking in the Eucharist in my life provides an avenue of transformation. The Reformed view is that Jesus is really, but spiritually present at communion but not in the elements. The Westminster Confession of Faith clearly, and rather bluntly, but correctly states: “worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements, in this sacrament, do then also, inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally but spiritually, receive, and feed upon, Christ crucified, and all benefits of His death.” The confession goes onto to say, 

That doctrine which maintains a change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christ’s body and blood (commonly called transubstantiation) by consecration of a priest, or by any other way, is unacceptable, not to Scripture alone, but even to common sense and reason (Bird, 2013; “WCF,” 1996, Articles 27-29). 

Communion is nourishment to one’s soul, it is a medicine and a taste of immortality, it quenches one’s hunger and thirst, and it brings unity to believers with Christ (Lightfoot, & Harmer, 1891). Calvin once said, “If anyone should ask me how this communion takes place, I am not ashamed to confess that it is a secret too lofty for either my mind to comprehend or my words to declare” (Calvin, 4.17.32). Calvin goes on to say, 

I do not simply teach that Christ dwells in us by his Spirit, but that [when we partake of Communion] he so raises us to himself as to transfuse the life-giving rigor of his flesh into us. To deny that a true communication of Jesus Christ is presented to us in the Supper, is to render this holy sacrament frivolous and useless—a repulsive blasphemy unfit to be listened to. (Bird, 2013, p. 791).

This experience and transformation can only be done in the community of God and it is one that I thoroughly enjoy being transformed by. A final quote regarding the Eucharist is given by Whitney (1996),

Participation in the Lord’s Supper allows us an experience with Christ that cannot be enjoyed in any other manner. Neither prayer, the preaching of God’s Word, public or private worship, nor any other means of encounter with the Lord can bring us into the presence of Jesus Christ in exactly the same way.  God has given to His children several means of communion with His Son, but one is unique to the Lord’s Supper… even though the bread and the cup do not contain the physical body and blood of Jesus, nor are they changed into them, they really do minister Christ to those who believe. (Article 9)

The means of Grace that God bestows in my life while partaking of the Eucharist in community is simply beautiful and it is one of the great mysteries of the faith.

Meditation

The last spiritual discipline or means of grace that I continued to be transformed and renewed by is meditating on the beauty of God. When I stop and reflect on God’s creation, on His work in my life, and how He is changing me day by day; this pushes me forward to continue to walk with Him. Sadly, meditation has been tied up with New Age or Eastern mysticism, and most Christians have failed to learn the beauty that comes from meditating on God and the Word. Scripture actually promotes the value of meditating on God’s Word and can be found coming from the lips of people like Isaac, Joshua, and David (Gen. 24:63; Josh. 1:8; Ps. 1:2; 53:5-6; 143:5; Strobel, 2013). To meditate on a passage, it simply means to “intently focus our mind on a spiritual issue” (Strobel, 2013, p. 126). It can also mean to “gaze upon the glory and beauty of God” (Strobel, 2013, p. 132). In addition, meditation is wrestling with God and His truth, it is exposing one’s temptations, sins, and hidden secrets to the Lord while discovering His truth for their life. Meditation is an important means of grace in which God continues to transform me through.

Any spiritual discipline that one gravitates toward, one must remember that we need to be in a posture of humility as we receive grace through these disciplines. Some believers may practice additional disciplines, and others may gain more benefit from supplementary disciplines in which I have outlined. What is lovely about God is He does not just stop at salvation and justification in our life. He continues to move toward us through the means of Grace to make us more like Him. Christians are truly blessed in this life! My goal moving forward is to continue to allow God to pour out His grace in my life in other disciplines in which I have not approached God with a posture of humility and pray that He will transform me more into His Son’s image day by day. I want to become more beautiful by continuing to walk with the beautiful One.

Conclusion

A close look was taken in trying to understand what God means when He commands believers to be Holy. Foundational points of the Gospel message were looked at in order to understand that the only way one can achieve such holiness is by the grace of God and through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Holiness is a past positional event, it is a present ongoing event, and is a future soon to be completed perfect event. Jesus is the only reason a Christian can begin a road of spiritual formation/sanctification which by the power of the Holy Spirit can develop and participate in their character formation. The Gospel is not only filled with different means of grace that God bestows on believers, but it also motivates one to participate in discipleship. Only when one is at the front lines of participating in the Kingdom of God inside a community, can one expect to be shaped and molded into the image of Christ. Perhaps Chapell (2001) captures a believer’s Character formation best when he says, 

When we truly perceive how great is the heart that pardons us, then our hearts begin to beat in harmony with that heart. Honoring our Lord becomes the joy of our lives, and love for him becomes the power that fuels that joy. (p. 35)

True character formation happens when a person becomes madly in love with Jesus and understands that he has been radicalized by grace (Davis, n.d.; Vincent, n.d.). May every believer continue to be transformed by the grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever, Amen!

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Waddell, J. (2014). "Developing personal wisdom." In A. DiVincenzo (Ed.), The beginning of wisdom: An introduction to Christian thought and life. Available from http://lc.gcumedia.com/cwv101/the-beginning-of-wisdom-an-introduction-to- christian-thought-and-life/v2.1/ 

Willard, D. (1998). Spiritual disciplines, spiritual formation, and the restoration of the soul. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 26(1), 101–109. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=1998-02626-008&site=eds-live&scope=site

Willard, D. (2002). Renovation of the heart: Putting on the character of Christ. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Whitney, D. S. (1996). Spiritual disciplines within the Church: Participating fully in the body of Christ. Chicago, IL: Moody Press.